A tri-national alliance of developing nations spread across three continents got a fresh lease of life on Monday with the launch of a fellowship programme for scholars from Brazil and South Africa.

Supported by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Research and Information System (RIS) for Developing countries, a think tank headed by former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran, will be hosting two scholars each from Brazil and South Africa for an IBSA (India, Brazil, South Africa) Fellowship Programme lasting from three to six months.

Preeti Saran, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, while launching the programme, said that IBSA has been acknowledged as a successful example of South-South cooperation.

She said that there were several issues on which the three countries could work better.

The programme will see scholars from Brazil and South Africa doing research on South-South cooperation across a range of issues in India. RIS has set up a committee that will select the scholars from the applications it has received.

Speaking at the launch, Shyam Saran said that IBSA represented three emerging economies that are also three major democracies.

"The fellowship programme will provide a platform for scholars from Brazil and South Africa to study new challenges like SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals set by the UN) and the Paris (Climate) Agreement (signed at the end of last year)," he stated.

Conceptualised in 1999, the IBSA became a reality with the Brasilia Declaration in June 2003 signed by the Foreign Ministers of Brazil, India and South Africa.

India will host the next IBSA summit in 2017. Of the five IBSA summits held till now, South Africa hosted the last one in 2011.

--IANS

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